Karwan Ensemble is a virtuosic trio of Afghan artists exploring the rich melodic and rhythmic traditions of Afghanistan, India, and neighboring regions of Central and South Asia. Through performances that blend folk and classical styles, the ensemble celebrates the beauty and mystique of Afghan music while preserving and sharing its cultural heritage. At a time when music is banned in their homeland, Karwan Ensemble is committed to keeping these traditions alive through the power of performance.

Siddique Ahmed - Rubab
Kamal Ahmad - Sitar, Tambur
Edrees Osman - Tabla, Dholak

with Special Guest Artist:
Natalie Nayun- Dancer

Artist Bio:

Edrees Osman has been learning tabla for the past 10 years. He began his musical journey alongside his cousin Kamal who taught him the basics of tabla and Indian Classical Music. He then went on to learn the fundamentals of Afghan music from Ustad Toryalai Hashimi and his son Eman Hashimi for a short period of time. After a bit of a hiatus from his musical education due to work and school, Edrees decided to continue his tutelage and is currently under the close guidance of Shri Sandip Ghosh. Ghosh is a world-renowned tabla maestro who is a senior disciple of Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and has performed across the globe with artists such as Kaushiki Chakraborty among many others. Edrees intends to use his talents to spread the traditional music of Afghanistan to a wider audience in hopes of preserving and promoting the art form.

Siddique Ahmed is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music producer. As the founding member of Afghanistan’s first rock band, Kabul Dreams, Siddique has proudly represented his country on the international stage, performing at prestigious festivals like SxSW. His musical expertise extends to collaborations with iconic Afghan artists such as Kabir Howaida and Ustad Mahwash, as well as emerging talent, for whom he has arranged and produced music.
Since moving to the US, Siddique has reconnected with his Afghan heritage, embracing the traditional instrument he has always felt deeply connected to—the Rubab. In his performances, he brings the rich melodies of Afghanistan’s diverse regions to life, infusing them with his unique interpretation while preserving their cultural essence.

Kamal Ahmad is a sitar player and teacher of raga music. He started his musical journey learning tabla before being initiated in the art of sitar playing by his elder sister. It would not be long before he began to seriously pursue his musical studies under sarod maestro Arnab Chakrabarty.
Soon after, Chakrabarty introduced Kamal to his would-be gurus, sitar virtuoso Vinayak Chittar and scholar-vocalist Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis, under both of whom Kamal continues to study. In spite of having taken to music at a fairly advanced age, Kamal compensated for a delayed start with an acutely critical approach to learning, which allowed him to identify and pursue an efficient path to honing his abilities. As such, Kamal maintains his critical endeavors in his practice, performance, and teaching of music, in an attempt to constantly improve at each.

Special Guest Artist:
Natalie Nayun is a dancer, choreographer, and Co-Artistic Director of Ballet Afsaneh, with nearly two decades devoted to the dances of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the wider Silk Road. Learn more about her at www.nayundance.com